Arizona nabs Shaq's son, five-star forward Shareef O'Neal

Shareef O’Neal, the son of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, came off the board early Wednesday morning with a commitment to the Arizona Wildcats. A 6-foot-9 forward with a bevy of upside and potential, O’Neal is the second five-star commitment to the Pac-12 program from the junior class, joining Emmanuel Akot.

The news was confirmed on Twitter.

O’Neal is built in the mold of the new hybrid type of forward that can do a litany of things. While he does need to get stronger and fill out further, his versatility, bloodlines and the chance to become a special ballplayer under the tutelage of Sean Miller is evident.

LSU, Kentucky, UCLA and a handful of other programs were in contention for the five-star recruit this spring. A college decision was not expected for some time. But by snatching up the No. 16 prospect in the 2018 class, Arizona is once again in position for one of the top classes in America this summer.